Two Days Off

During the last week, I've been at my busiest when I should have had the week off.  

So, yesterday and today, I did the smallest amount of housework and then finished up the last two picture frames for the Creative Markets and jumped online for the internet... easy-peasy.  I didn't want to be burning myself out too much, and I didn't.

Last night, I sat down and began stitching up the ends of the Tie Cushion for my Secret Santa lady at my craft group this Christmas.  This thing's really coming along well!  I've got one end almost done and the other end is mostly just finishing the fiddly bits and then I'll stitch the bums of the ties together and it'll be done!  Most of all, I want it to give a lot, so it's not too tight and it gives a lot so she can move it and replace the inside cushion if needs be with something more comfortable, and not undo my work.

Well, after watching my dvds of 'Supernatural', it was only 10pm.  So, I made up my bed after locking up and jumped online to check my mail and do a little reading.  Before long I was off to bed, but couldn't sleep.  My mind was going a million miles an hour.  I did eventually get to sleep, but I'm not sure when - probably after midnight.

This morning, I was up at around 8:30am, made myself pancakes and packed the car for the markets - stock box and all!

I'm currently charging my iPod, some rechargeable batteries and my tablet for tonight and tomorrow.  I'm off to a friend's house this arvo to chill out and to keep myself away from any painting or work until around 8:30pm... when I come home and chill until bedtime at around 10pm.  Tomorrow I'll be up at 5am and out the door by 6:30am or so and working my butt off at the Creative Markets at the Springwood State School on Springwood Road... it's my old primary school.  It's a great place to make a little money.  And with my new line of products and new display, I'm hoping to make a bit of money tomorrow. 

Well, I hope your weekend is going to be as much fun as mine is... until my next post, take care, stay safe and remember, I'm always here.

One Crazy Shopping Day

Last night, I was all organised.  Really I was.  I had my handbag packed, my shopping list all sorted, my fold-up shopping bags all ready and everything was just, well, organised for today.  

I honestly thought I had everything to just leave the house and go grocery shopping.  

Well, I didn't.  

I drove off this morning to get petrol for the Astra and found it was dirt cheap!  So,  I filled the tank and looked for my card-holder... and couldn't find it!  Oh no!  It wasn't in my handbag!  So, I had to pay for my petrol using another card I was saving money on for my rego next year (damn!) and then I came home and ripped the house apart looking for my card holder - without success!  I even called the last few places I had gone to - The Logan Art Gallery and Office Works - and they hadn't had anything handed in... so I called my folks' house (as I had been to their place on Monday, but I didn't go anywhere yesterday).  Nope,  nothing.

Crap!

So, I looked through the car, tipped out my handbag and then?  Well, I thought if I cleaned up everything and put away a few jackets and hung up some hats, I might find it sitting on the lounge or underneath something.  So, I picked up two jackets and I felt something bump against my hip... something thick and hard... and I searched the pocket of my large red jacket and found it!  I found the card holder!  

I called Dad and told him where it was.  He was relieved I didn't have to cancel any cards; and I said if anyone had found it they wouldn't be able to do anything with it anyway as I don't have the VISA facility on any of my cards... they're just keycards where I have a pin, no 'touch & go' thing.  And I don't own a credit card, so that's a good thing too.  Besides, my Load & Go card has under $20 on it, and unless I'm going to buy something online immediately, I don't keep any more than that on the card in case this kind of thing happens.  He thought that was a smart of way of banking.

Well, I packed my handbag again and took off - ignoring my house for the moment.  The mail was checked, then, I was about to pull out of the post office onto Kingston Road when a guy in a BMW pulled up outside the place and blocked my view - I really wish the Logan City Council would put a bloody yellow line between the driveways so we can see up the road and not just a stupid No Parking sign.  Anyway, I had to put the nose of my car out into the traffic to see beyond him as he opened his door for a few seconds and made my life even more difficult... damned arsehole... but then, once I was out into the traffic, I didn't care.  
I found myself at Logan Central, at Woolworths, where I bought my Witacker's Chocolate and then searched some charity stores for old picture frames.  I found 4 in the Op Shop for the Blind and Life Line each!  Yay!  I scored more than I thought I would.  And seeing I have another 2 on the go right now and three more sitting in a box waiting to go, I've got plenty to keep me busy for the September markets - both of them!

Well, I went to Logan Central Plaza, looked around the new rug place where Woodys' used to be, and then K-Mart and scored myself a cool 'Back to the Future' t-shirt for $12.95, and grabbed more coathangers to paint up.  Then it was off to Coles to do my grocery shopping for the fortnight.  I was reading the ingredients on some of the things I normally buy, and tried to buy stuff without Palm Oil in it, but it was looking more and more expensive as I went on.  So what I did was I bought what I could afford for now, and bought what I normally bought that was cheap and had Palm Oil in it... I know that sounds terrible, but really I can't afford to turn my grocery list around when I buy organic fruit and veggies anyway.  

Well, I put my stuff through the self-serve check-outs and I spent around $200 at the end of it all at this one place.  It's amazing how much you really do spend in one day, isn't it?  And this is just my shopping day.  Well, I hope your day has been better than mine.  I better get in and put away some laundry, clothes and jackets... you never know what else I might find under all of those things in my living room!  Until my next post, take care, stay safe and remember I'm always here.

Less Than A Week...

Yeah... it's less than a week to go until the weekend... less than a week to go until the Creative Markets... less than a week to go until my next new line of products hits the shelves on my market stall!  

Wow!  

And it's been a busy old week for me.  

Last week, I ordered in new business cards from Office Works, and yesterday I picked them up.  

A few days ago, I found out that everyone at the markets were getting a QR code for the next markets. I didn't know what that was... so a photographer on our Creative Markets group offered everyone who wasn't up-to-date to a free one for their market.  I jumped in and said yes!  Now, I have one of those all printed up, laminated and ready to go!

Yesterday afternoon, I repacked everything for the markets, priced all the new stock, and made sure everything fitted into the boxes - and it did!  Yay!  I'm really looking forward to getting it all working, going and being ready for next Sunday.

I really can't wait!

I'm also organising my birthday party too.  I've begun looking at a list of people, food, music, the theme, and now, I just need a place to get in and boogie on down with my party... very cool!  

Well, that's the low-down on me this week so far.  I've got a shindig to go to on Saturday, but I'm not staying there for long, as I have an early start on Sunday morning.  So, what have you been up to lately?  Anything interesting?  Anything normal?  Anything fun?  Until my next post, take care, stay safe and remember I'm always here.

Captain, My Captain!

I haven't written a tribute to this great man yet because I honestly don't know what to say about him. 

I loved him... I loved his humour, his wonderful, childlike ways on 'Mork & Mindy'.  I loved that he was so uninhibited and yet, he took on roles in movies that were so totally and completely opposite to his personality; just to show us all he had depth.  He wanted to show us that he could freak us out, make us cry, take us on a journey and make us feel love, want to go along on that path with him and yet... when the show was over, his voice played on in our minds for days afterward unlike anyone else's.

There will never be anyone quite like Robin Williams - not in my lifetime - and if another person does come along with similar characteristics, they will have massive huge clown shoes to fill... and a spacesuit which has a personality of its own too, as well as Orsan; but then, let's not digress too much, eh?

Robin Williams was one of the few people who could honestly make me laugh.  I can lose myself in a show or a movie and just totally enjoy what he's doing in that role, knowing he loved doing what he did.  He's a unique character - a unicorn - of our times, of our world, and we watched him work so hard and yet we didn't see what may have been happening behind the scenes... this is unfortunate; as the depression and the problems of great actors and comedians often haunt them, leading to other more deeper things they don't wish to admit to; thinking we - their fans and their audience - wouldn't understand.

That Robin was as human as everyone around him.  

This is why I loved him and his movies, his shows... he was totally human - totally himself.

I think this is why his death has hurt us so much more than any other of our times - because he has become such a wonderfully brilliant, lovely, funnyman - we always thought he'd be around.

Rest In Peace Robin... and I hope your Heaven is just like the one you experienced in 'What Dreams May Come'... now, wouldn't that be a blast?

Going Home Today

Today, I'm off home from Brighton.  The rain has cleared up, the sun is out, the sky is blue again; and just when I'm off home... isn't that just the way it would go?  Yeah, sure... just when I'd like a bit of warm weather to help dry my painted work.  

Well, I'm missing my place a lot - particularly my own space, my kitchen and my art area where I can spread out more.  But really I am missing my bedroom where I have lovely bed to sleep in instead of a futon.  I don't mean anything against my brother and his girlfriend, but the guest bed they have isn't all that comfy... but that's just me.  I'm used a nice Queen Sized bed with a huge firm mattress; that's all.

Anyway, it's been nice to be here enjoying the place and being able to get out and about is great!  I've loved the difference in having a car to use this time; and that on Thursday I went out and found myself a vintage suitcase which didn't cost me the Earth - just $12) and now my new display is going to come together nicely.  

But over the last few days, it's been doing nothing but raining.  So, I've been painting, sewing and watching movies on my brother's computer.  I have been cooking all my meals at home too, so all the food I've brought with me is almost gone.  I've taking home with me most of the food I've brought with me because it was my grocery shopping - well some of it.  I will leave some things here, just cold stuff, you know.
The chickens have been the funniest things here.  They followed me around all the time - and I found one out of the pen this morning.  How she got out is beyond me!  And I wondered how long she'd been out as well.  So, I quickly fed them all.  Before that, poor Jay had been sick, throwing up in the guest room after she sat outside my door.  I let her in, she wandered around and then was sick... poor girl.  She gave me the most guilty look, but she wasn't sick again.  I think she just wasn't feeling great that's all.  After her walk this morning - and discovering a Bearded Dragon in the back field, who wasn't very happy she was sniffing him - she has been happily snoozing and rolling around on the grass.

Otherwise, Mum and Dad have arrived home - as of last night - from their holiday (yeah, they went away again).  I'm looking forward to getting home and Gabe and Kat are coming home soon too as well.  We've all been away over the last few days.  What have you been up to lately where everything is different for you?  Have you been house sitting - like I have? - or are you enjoying a different aspect on life altogether?  Until my next post, take care, stay safe and remember, I'm always here.

Wet Day Working

This morning, I woke at around 7am to rain.  It was a nice pitter-patter on the roof and I needed to get in and feed the chickens, Jay and then myself without getting too wet... nothing worse than wet clothes on a day of rain, where nothing dries.

Well, I pulled on my Wellies and trudged down the back in a waterproof jacket of my brother's, and fed the 'girls'.  They were running into each other, all over each other and jumping on my shoes to get to the food; but it got done... funny little critters!  I checked the coop and there was only one egg there, so I thought to leave it and wait until this afternoon when I let them out to check for more.

By the time I returned to feed Jay, the rain had begun to fall harder; so I waited until later in the day to take her for her walk... if it was going to back off.  Fortunately, a few hours later, it did.  Jay and I took a walk out in the back field and returned about twenty minutes before it poured rain again and the temperature dropped about ten degrees!  

Well, I made myself lunch and something to drink and went to work with my new line of pegs and things in the cottage where I'm staying.  This was at around midday... now it's almost 4pm and I've been working hard out there on a few things.  The cold and wet weather has made drying times longer.  So, I went out to the car and grabbed the suitcase I bought yesterday and decided to give it a good clean-out... and it looks ten times better now!

Anyway, the chickens are out in the yard now, they laid two more eggs and Jay's been fed today too... it's been a quiet day because of the rain and cold.  Tonight, I'm going to make some pasta... yummo!  Until my next post, take care, stay safe and remember, I'm always here.

House-Sitting Again!

Well, here I am at Brighton in Brisbane, house-sitting my brother's house again.  I arrived yesterday around lunch time and today was my first full day out and about in my Little Green Machine doing what I needed to get done before the rains came for the weekend.  

Gabe and Kat did have breakfast here with me, packed the Kombi and then took off... leaving Jay the Wonderdog in my care; and I went out about an hour later, hoping to get everything done that I wanted to get done... and I did!

Mind you, it did take a good part of my day to get everything I needed; including buying toilet paper and getting some milk.  But I didn't want to get stuck in the rain around these parts... so I thought today was the best day to get things done.

I searched high and low for the vintage suitcase... but couldn't find one until a lady in an old-fashioned shoe shop told me about an antiques store at Deagon and photocopied a map of this area for me, high-lighting the roads I needed to take - what at great help!  I found the place, pulled in and found this antiques store brilliant, filled with all kinds of goodies and then asked the owner about suitcases and he pointed out two... one was a lovely blue and white one for $12 and the other looked very, very well-traveled.  This second one had stickers hanging off it, half its skin tarnished and yet it was still holding together quite well!  So, I asked what its story was, and he happily told me that he had had it since the 1960's; and had bought it off Rudyard Kipling himself in India!  Talk about the WOW factor!  He wasn't going to part with that one for any more than $120... and personally, I don't blame him.  So, I bought the $12 one and said he was very lucky to be in possession of such a greatly traveled suitcase which was owned by such a brilliant writer!

Otherwise, I spent most of my day walking around Sandgate Township Common; with Little Green Machine safely parked uncover... and only just made it back in time for the 2 hour parking limit to be up... *phew!*.... I walked around the place looking into all the charity stores and asking about the suitcases and trying to find 'The Book Shack'.  Nobody had suitcases, and yet it seemed there were two answers to 'The Book Shack':  either nobody had ever heard of it, or they didn't know where it was because they didn't live in the area, but they took a wild guess where it might be!  

By the time I arrived home with the suitcase, a couple of crazy ties, the milk and toilet paper, I was stuffed!  But I had to take Jay for a walk and let the chickens out for their wander around the place...  yep, it was around 3pm.  So, I did that, fed Jay and - before long  it was time to feed myself!  It's only 10pm and I'm ready for bed!  I haven't done much, just searched for a bookstore and an old suitcase.... never knew it would take so long... hehe... well, until my next post, take care, stay safe and remember, I'm always here.

Movie Review... Not Sure If I Should Do This One.

By now, you have all heard about the terrible news of Robin Williams' passing.  I heard about it at my Aunt and Uncle's house while I was visiting them for a few minutes... it was horrible to hear that one of my favourite comedians and actors had been battling with so much in his life and had been going through rehab to work on it all.  And he just couldn't do it anymore...

But the movie I watched - and I'm not sure if I should review - on Saturday night was 'What Dreams May Come'.  This movie is about a man called Chris Nielson, who meets his soulmate in Switzerland and soon after, they get married and live a wonderfully happy life - him a doctor, and her an artist.  They have two gorgeous children, a huge house filled with happiness and love for around fourteen years... until their children are killed in a car accident.  Four quick years later, Chris' death follows from the very same thing.  A year afterwards, his wife kills herself; and the race is on for him to find her in Hell and bring her to place she had created for them both to live after they died together - a place she had painted on a massive canvas.  This place is where he woke up when he decided to walk along the tunnel and to go where his spirit was supposed to go.

However, little did I know that after watching this film this kind of thing would happen to one of the greatest people everyone has loved, laughed with and enjoyed.  There isn't anyone on his planet who doesn't know Robin Williams and his roles in movies, such as this one or 'The Dead Poet's Society', 'Good Morning, Vietnam, 'Mrs. Doubtfire' and most of all, his wonderfully hilarious first role as Mork from Ork in 'Mork and Mindy'... I loved him in that show.  

I'm just kind of numb about the news right now... as though it's not real.  I think it's got to sink in before I know for certain, deep down, he's not here.  This man has been so much a part of my life - and I loved his funniness so much - that this news will take time for me to process.  Until my next post, take care, stay safe and most of all, if you are suffering from depression, please do not stay silent (thinking it will go away), please, please, do go and talk to somebody about it.  It does help.  Until my next post, remember, I'm always here.

I Can't Believe It!

Okay!  I'll start with last Sunday... yep, a whole 7 days ago.  

I thought to do some work on my craft stuff and was waiting for some paint to dry when I took a break and went out into my garden, snapped off a piece of Malaysian Radium Weed and applied the sap to a BCC on my left arm.  This thing had been on my arm next to my watch for over a decade and it wasn't doing anything much - just becoming rough, itchy and a little problem to me.  So, seeing I had a plant in my yard which my friends had been praising cured skin cancers, I thought to give it a try.

Why not?  What did I have to lose?

Nothing... right?

Yep... so I dabbed it on and went back inside.  I did it again later that day before dinner and started dinner as it began to get cold.  

Later that night, I felt as though I wanted to scratch my arm off!  This was the sap taking affect on my arm... damn it was itchy!  But I remembered Anne telling me to not scratch it, and to leave it alone.  So, I did.  

The next day, I went off to craft group, leaving my arm free from my sleeves and dabbing on more of the sap in the morning and just before I left to go to craft group.  Well, it bugged me even more!  Anne told me it was looking good, and she said it'll work within the week or so, that the skin will just fall off and it'll be pink underneath; that there's going to be brand new skin underneath it all.

So, I watched it each day and saw it get all bubbly and messy.  And did it itch!  I didn't scratch it - even though I wanted to.  Today, it looked very dried up and ready to come off, but I left it alone.  And tonight, about half an hour ago, I bumped it and the scab of it peeled off nice and easy.  Sure enough - just as Anne told me - the skin is nice and smooth underneath and it's pink, new skin!  Very cool!  

I'm amazed and wouldn't have believed this worked unless it actually worked on me... and it has!  Just simply amazing and a much better and simpler way of treating these skin cancers than burning them off... but that doesn't mean you don't go to the doctor.  It also doesn't mean I'm not going either to get this checked out; which I will in a few days' time, just to make sure it's all gone.  Until my next post, take care, stay safe and remember, I'm always here.

A Long Weekend Ahead

Today, I went out for a few hours, and I had a few things to get done.  Seeing I had been home for two days working hard on the new line of products for the Creative Markets, I'm happy I got a chance to go out and get some things done.

I was gone from the house by 10am or so, after I found out the car was covered in cat pee!  Yuk!  Well, I didn't have time to wash the car until I'd get home. So, I sprayed the windscreen and cleaned it off to drive and made my way out... well, until I found somebody had put all the wheelie bins along the fence behind the car.  These same 5 or so bins have been sitting in the same space for the last 3 - 6 months, so I dumped one where it was supposed to be, and threw the others in a heap at the back of the complex.  It's not my responsibility to return them to the people's home - it's the tenant's responsibility to pick them up; and if they don't, the Caretaker returns them.  Leaving them outside my place isn't something to be done.  So, I let my Dad know what I'd done (so if anyone bugs him about it, he could back me up) and went on my way.

I drove over to the Hyperdome to pick up some more spray varnish for my next day of varnishing (which will be on Tuesday, while everyone is at work or school).  And then, I made my way back around the ridges to look at some charity stores to pick up some men's ties.  There were some lovely ones at the Op Shop at Logan Central, but I bought only two there.  And then I drove to Vinnies on the Service Road and found another five or so to add to the cushion... they look great!  There's plenty of colours and I'm looking forward to adding them to this Secret Santa cushion for the lady I'm making it for... all hand-stitched!  I hope she likes it.  

On my way home, I checked the mail and came home, where I immediately hosed off the car and washed it.  Stupid cats... wish they didn't pissed all over my car.  Made the damned thing stink.  But now, it's nice and clean and I'm looking forward to being able to drive my car over the weekend if I need to.

This arvo, I'll be working on more works for Tuesday's Varnish'n'Wrap Day.  And over the weekend, I'll be packing for next week.  I'll be hanging out at my brother's house for a couple of days... it'll be a good few days to get to know the area, seeing I have a car now.  I'll also be working on some pegs and the cushion too.  I'll also keep in touch with you all from there.  Until my next post, take care, stay safe and remember, I'm always here.